Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Related legal acts

Key definition

National Insurance Contributions definition

What does National Insurance Contributions mean? National Insurance contributions (NICs) are payments made by employees, employers and the self-employed to HMRC—or credited—so individuals build entitlement to the UK State Pension and other contributory social security benefits. NICs are a statutory concept defined primarily in the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 (and the Northern Ireland 1992 Act) and related regulations. NICs are distinct from income tax but are usually calculated and reported via PAYE or self assessment. Amounts collected are paid into the National Insurance fund (Great Britain) or the Northern Ireland National Insurance Fund and finance the new State Pension, contributory Employment and Support...

Employee inventions under the Patents Act 1977 (UK): ownership, compensation for 'outstanding benefit', and key case law

Published by a LexisNexis IP expert

Practice notes

This Practice Note sets out UK law on employee inventions, explaining when and how a worker who devises something in the workplace may either retain ownership of what they created, or, where they do not own it – for example because they are employed to invent – the situations in which they can demand compensation from their employer for developing an invention that delivers substantial value to the company.

Many staff involved in research and development (R&D) generate products and processes that produce significant financial returns for their employers.

In defined circumstances, where an employee has devised an invention in the course of their duties, they are entitled to seek compensation from the employer, even if the role means they were ‘employed to invent’ because part of their working time is spent making inventions. This acknowledges the employee’s contribution when they cannot own the invention they created.

Rights in employees’ inventions

Who is an employee?

The initial question is whether the creator was actually an employee, as opposed to, say, a consultant or contractor...

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Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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